SkipCohenUniversity
  • The Gateway
  • Faculty
    • Arthur Rainville
    • Seth Resnick
    • Jen Rozenbaum
    • Dane Sanders
    • Ryan Schembri
    • John Sexton
    • Louise and Joseph Simone
    • Ken Sklute
    • Brian Smith
    • Matthew Jordan Smith
    • Eddie Tapp
    • Roberto Valenzuela
    • Nick Vedros
    • Kirk Voclain
    • Beverly and Tim Walden
    • Yervant
    • Moshe Zusman
  • SCU Blog
    • Guest Posts
  • Videos/Showcases
    • Luminary Corner
    • The Marathon Center
    • Profoto Showcase
    • ProShow Annex
    • Tamron Theater
    • Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work
    • Suzette Allen
    • Clay Blackmore
    • Scott Bourne
    • John Paul Caponigro
    • Bob Carey's Tutu Project
    • Michele Celentano
    • Sal Cincotta
    • Dean Collins
    • Bob Davis: Lighting
    • Dixie Dixon
    • Bruce Dorn
    • Zach and Jody Gray
    • Rich Harrington and Rhed Pixel
    • Gregory Heisler and Profoto
    • Kristen Jensen
    • Lou Jones
    • Julieanne Kost: Lightroom 4
    • Vincent Laforet
    • Bobbi Lane
    • Annie Leibovitz
    • "Live Forever" - A Must Watch Classic
    • Charles and Jennifer Maring
    • Mary Ellen Mark: Profoto Icon Series
    • Steve McCurry
    • Nick's Picks
    • Arthur Rainville
    • Jen Rozenbaum - Boudoir
    • Matthew Jordan Smith
    • TED Talks
    • Art Wolfe
    • Zig Ziglar Classics
    • Monte Zucker
    • Moshe Zusman
  • Podcasts
  • About Us
  • Partners
    • Illuminati
    • Lumix G
    • Marathon
    • Photodex
    • Profoto
    • Shutter Magazine
    • Sprout Studio
    • Tamron

Optimism: Got game?

3/9/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Yesterday we launched the first program under the SCU umbrella, "Thrive."  It kicked off with a terrific group of people, but here's what makes them "terrific".  It's about optimism and being hungry to learn. It's about that old Zig Ziglar line that your attitude determines your altitude...NOT your aptitude. This group is flying at 50,000 feet!  They're all about optimism.

In 2009, after seven years as President of Rangefinder Publishing, which included  WPPI, it was simply time for me to move on.   The issues that made the timing what it was are unimportant.  What is important is why I felt the timing was so good.  Yeah, I said that – in the worst economy in all of our lifetimes, it was the perfect time to start a new business.

SCU is another project that too many people have suggested is as badly timed as starting a new business almost four years ago. You name it, I've heard how our industry doesn't need another education venue and while most of the negative comments seem to always trace back to somebody connected to WPPI, it's that old standard of too many people out there who are just afraid of change.

Everybody gets to have their dreams, including me. I've watched so many different programs come and go over the years when it comes to education in photography. Obviously they're not all working, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing the amazing interest in the site and the support we are on posts, podcasts and videos.

We're an industry of small businesses who have been dealing with the economy, changes in consumer trends and technology and caught in the perfect storm over the last few years. 

So, here’s where you have to look for the optimism and this isn’t a private party.    First, too many people are afraid of what’s going to happen next.  They’re paralyzed by the economy and the stories put out by the media.    Often their own situation and drop in business, loss of jobs etc.  has added to the paralysis.   

But, here's where the real opportunities come into play.  If you can be creative, what a great time in history to stand out.  It's a perfect time to advertise and promote your business and your skill set!    It's a time to take a few risks on new ideas, new technologies and new ways to promote your business.

Last year, in one of the toughest cities in America, Detroit, Angela Carson had one of her best years ever. Bruce Dorn, who just joined the SCU faculty, has branched out into an amazing journey into video. Clay Blackmore, at SCU yesterday took us through a long list of techniques creating stunning images in the garage! And the list goes on and on with people carving out new niches and building their business because of their optimism and passion.

Imaging in America is actually pretty solid.  Business is out there, it's just harder to find it, but the potential is there.
The top three photographic specialties in which a consumer is most likely to hire a professional photographer are still "Brides, Babies and Pets",  in that order. This came out of a Kodak study years ago and nothing has changed.    

Am I optimistic?  Damn right!    The opportunities are all around us, but you’ve got to look hard – this is a Who Moved My Cheese kind of year...but on steroids.  And as far as the SCU project and my critics, sorry gang, we ain't slowin' down! I couldn't be more proud of the incredible friends and companies who are working hard to help build something new and more personal in education along with my readers and a new group of old and new friends who joined us for this first program.

"I do it because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldnt!"  Let's add one more to my favorite quote and it's dedicated to so many people who are part of this, "We do it because it's needed!"

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    "Why?"

    Check out "Why?" one of the most popular features on the SCU Blog. It's a very simple concept - one image, one artist and one short sound bite. Each artist shares what makes the image one of their most favorite. We're coming up on 100 artists featured since the project started. Click on the link above and you can scroll through all of the episodes to date.

    Categories

    All
    Beyond Technique
    Building Your Business
    Business
    Customer Service
    EDU10
    Excire
    Faculty
    Fast Food Friday
    Guest Post
    Humor And Sarcasm
    In The News
    Lighting
    Luminar
    Lumix
    Marketing
    Miscellaneous
    Motivational
    One Step At A Time
    Photodex
    PhotoShelter
    PhotoTexting
    Podcasts
    Profoto
    Sales
    Search
    Skylum
    Social Media
    Sunday Morning Reflections
    Tamron
    Technique
    Throwback Thursday
    Wedding Photography
    Why?

    Authors

    Skip Cohen is President of SCU, founder of Marketing Essentials International and past president of Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI. He's been an active participant in the photographic industry since joining Hasselblad USA in 1987 as president.  He has co-authored six books on photography and actively supports dozens of projects each year involving photographic education.

    Scott Bourne

    Scott Bourne was the first Dean of Marketing at SCU. He helped to establish this blog as a resource for aspiring and working professional photographers. He's an educator, artist, author and from time to time you'll see his name on guest posts that are always relevant to photography and marketing!

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

Professional Education for Wedding & Portrait Photographers